Born with a silver spoon: America's richest dynasties eye more wealth

Image: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

Abundant legacy: This portrait of Sam Walton, his wife and his children, decades before his heirs became the wealthiest dynasty in American history, hung in the Walmart museum in Bentonville, Arkansas

The Waltons. The Kennedys. The Rockefellers. You know the names already. Now Forbes has compiled the first comprehensive ranking of the richest families in America: 185 clans with fortunes of at least $1 billion. They’re collectively worth $1.2 trillion. Many are working at increasing their fortunes. Others are merely sleepy heirs, several generations removed from their families’ heydays. Nearly all have ties to some of the most storied businesses and brands in American history, including  Jack Daniel’s, L.L. Bean, Getty Oil, Hallmark and Budweiser.

Click Here to see the full list of Forbes America's Richest Families